The Mill City Times Interview: Michelle Courtright, Owner of Fig + Farro, Eco-vegan Restaurant in Minneapolis
Monday, May 25, 2020 at 5:13AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, images provided
Fig + Farro announced Sunday that it will permanently close on May 31. Owner Michelle Courtright is redirecting the mission of food and climate into a foundation.
You have one last week to order the delicious food from Fig + Farro – let’s help the trail-blazing and award-winning restaurant go out with the biggest week in their history!
Michelle Courtright. So many ways to describe her – climate change warrior, rock and roll groupie, restaurant visionary – we attempted to cover as many as possible in our interview.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Colorado Springs. My parents were excited when I chose "a good Lutheran college" and moved to Minnesota to attend Gustavus Adolphus College. With the exception of a few temporary moves to Ireland and France, I've spent the better part of 20 years in the Twin Cities and I love it!
Michelle CourtrightQ: What’s your earliest food memory?
A: Our backyard garden was always overflowing so I always remember having loads of fried zucchini with ranch dressing and fresh-baked zucchini bread.
Q: Are your parents vegetarians?
A: My parents are definitely not vegetarians, but they have been good sports trying dairy-free and gluten-free at different times, and they have significantly decreased their meat intake for environmental reasons.
Q: Who taught you about vegetarian cooking? Did you go to culinary school?
A: I never went to culinary school, just tinkered around in my own kitchen. When I returned from living in Dublin, I needed a job and applied as a line cook at the old restaurant, Sydney's. They asked if I had line experience and I said "yeah, sure." That was a trial by fire of learning proper knife skills, quick thinking and keeping my space clean. I learned more in my first month there than I could have at a school.
Q: Several of your online bios mention ‘touring with Radiohead’ - what do you do on tour with them? How did it start?
A: Haha, the "groupie" title is a joke with friends. My husband and I are big fans and we try to see as many shows as we can. They are definitely my favorite band.
Q: You’re a member of the member of Women Presidents’ Organization. Did they contact you when you had achieved a career milestone?
A: WPO is my favorite organization. I reached out as I knew others had great experiences with the group. We've been meeting via Zoom several times a week during COVID-19 and they have provided so much legal and financial guidance during everything. My cohort inspires me every day!
Q: Does your restaurant's name have special meaning to you?
A: We were looking for a name that reflected the global aspects of the food, and Fig + Farro had a nice ring to it. People often ask the pronunciation of farro. I always say it’s either/"i"ther, tomato/to"mah"to.
Q: The daily news is filled with stories about meat shortages. What message would you like to tell us about a future with less meat?
A: Industrial meat production creates up to 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions, particularly the more powerful methane and nitrous oxide gases, so we really need to rethink our meat consumption in this country. Additionally, you're seeing the vulnerability of workers in meat-packing plants who are not given proper safety conditions to do their job. We should all be sending a message to these large corporations that we don't want cheap meat in exchange for poor working conditions and environmental degradation. *
Q: Tell me about being a Humphrey Fellow. Do you teach at the U?
A: I was a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School in 2012, and it was an incredible experience. Our cohort was mixed ideologically, and it really made me appreciate how decency and respect can get you a long way when you're creating laws and policy for your community. The program instills a great sense of responsibility and civic leadership and really was my foundation in the climate work we've done at Fig + Farro.
Q: How has reopening been for Fig + Farro?
A: Terrible, like most other restaurants out there. We reopened on May 6 and our revenues are down 90%. Takeout doesn't provide enough revenue to keep the lights on, and even if we eventually open the dining room, we'll need to lower capacity (and obviously that means revenue) to 25% of previous levels. It's a tough industry to begin with, but COVID-19 has been a disaster for my friends and colleagues who own restaurants. **
That said, we made the decision to close the restaurant permanently. The last day will be Sunday, May 31st. We’d love your support in our final week, especially any videos you can send about your favorite server, meal or experience you’ve had in our space and ideas for the future. This has been a really hard time for all of us and we’d love to hear your positive memories. Guests may preorder online at figandfarro.com, call ahead to 612-208-0609, or simply roll-up to the restaurant on Lake Street, right off Hennepin, within Calhoun Square.
How can we help our local restaurants?
- When restaurants open on June 1, go out to eat.
- Honor reservations.
- Continue to use takeout and delivery options.
- Buy gift cards and merchandise.
- Stock your freezer or pantry with groceries that restaurants are selling.
- Tip servers.
- Follow #SaveTwinCitiesEats.
- Be a restaurant reviewer! Tag your favorite restaurants and meals using their social media handles.
- Tell your friends to do these steps!
* Michelle was a delegate to COP24, the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland. Hear her thoughts about the conference here.
** Interviewer’s note: Many restaurants fear for their survival, according to a study released in April by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study found that restaurateurs believed they had a 72% chance of survival if the crisis caused by the virus outbreak lasted a month, but if it lasted four months, they believed they had only a 30% chance of survival. At six months, a 15% chance.
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About Becky Fillinger
I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.
One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.
